The Best Budgeting App for ADHD is Actually a Game

How do games help people with ADHD?

Using games to boost productivity for people with ADHD can be a game-changer—literally! Games are naturally designed to hold our attention, especially when they’re fun and rewarding. For individuals with ADHD, this engagement can be harnessed to help build focus and improve key cognitive skills like memory, decision-making, and problem-solving.

Take puzzle games like Tetris or brain-training apps like Peak. These games provide just the right level of challenge to keep your mind stimulated without overwhelming you. As you play, your brain works on skills like attention, planning, and switching between tasks—things that can be tricky for people with ADHD but are essential for productivity. Plus, many games adjust their difficulty based on how you’re doing, meaning they can help keep you in a sweet spot where you’re always engaged but not frustrated.

How can this help with budgeting?

The problem with budgeting and saving money is that it doesn't match the rewards associated with spending money. The dopamine that gets released when you buy something new is way more than you get by putting money into your savings. Games can help build new habits by providing dopamine and motivation for good financial behaviours as opposed to bad financial behaviours.

If engaging with your money on a daily basis could be turned from a boring, heavy tasks into something bite-sized, lightweight and fun, then our behaviour could be dramatically changed.

A game that helps you manage your money

At Rule we're building the most engaging money app by turning the daily management of money into a game. It's designed specifically for people with ADHD to help them manage their money in a way that works for them. We believe the majority of money apps are designed for 'optimisers'. Those who are already confident with their money and want to get even better or reduce a little of their workload. With Rule, we wanted to rethink everything.

We do this by making everything bite sized, digestible and challenge based. We’ve turned budgeting into simply swiping through a few transactions each day. After this we challenge you to save a small random amount so that each time you put in work you’re also building your savings.

We’ve been building this with our ADHD & money community and people are loving it.

Just been having a check-up on the savings made since the takeaway challenge I participated in. I've tried to stick with it, and yes, I have succumbed on a few occasions. BUT...absolutely mind blown that I've already saved over £3,000!

This is all tied together with a virtual pet. Doing well in the app and with your money, means your virtual pet does well too. They can help keep you on track and accountable too!

For us, building motivation via simple daily habits and actions, as well as the motivation required to continue is what is really required to support those with ADHD. We focus heavily on your habits and behaviours, as a method for curbing impulse spending and changing behaviour.

We believe that to support people with ADHD it requires a totally different approach for long term financial wellbeing and confidence. But we can’t build it alone, please try it out for free and give us feedback!